Featured
Rashidah Grinage Passes the Torch at PUEBLO Celebration
Rashidah Grinage is stepping down after seven years as executive director of People United for a Better Life in Oakland (PUEBLO) in order to focus full time on PUEBLO’s campaign to “establish “effective and independent oversight of police in Oakland.”
“Wewill have been working on this for 20 years already, and we will not relent, and we will not be deterred,” said Grinage, speaking at PUEBLO’s 25th anniversary celebration in Oakland last Saturday.
With a national spotlight on the lack of police accountability she said, now is a good time to redouble efforts to establish civilian oversight of police and “promote restorative justice alternatives to the criminal justice/law enforcement practices of arrest and incarceration – especially for juvenile offenders.”
Replacing Grinage as executive director is John Yuasa, a graduate of Hasting College of Law and former executive director of Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center and the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation.
City Councilmember Noel Gallo was honored at the Saturday night event for his community leadership. He was recognized for his years as a school board member who improved educational opportunities for children and his courageous support as chair of the city council’s Public Safety Committee for a community-based police reform initiative.
While PUEBLO is most known for its work on Oakland-related issues, the anniversary celebration recognized a number the group’s other programs.
Cocina de PUEBLO teaches young people how to plan and prepare delicious, health, culturally appropriate meals using fresh, affordable ingredients. The 16-week, hands-on program teaches safe food preparation, healthy menu planning, food sources, nutrition, and marketing and promotion.
The K-5 Garden Education project at Madison Park Academy takes all of the school’s 300 students on weekly visits to an outdoor garden classroom to study science and nutrition, maintaining a garden and managing food scrap composting.
The Balancing the Inner Outer Reentry, headed by Isaac Taggart, serves Black and Latino men who live in Oakland, ages 19 and older, who were formerly incarcerated at Santa Rita jail or San Quentin Prison.
“We recruit them while they are incarcerated, one to three months pre-release,” said Taggart. “They will get case management services and assistance in developing their transitional plan in preparation for being released.”
Post-release clients will participate in restorative justice healing circles and have a mentor, as well as help in implementing an employment and educational plan, he said.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
City Government
Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Special to The Post
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.
Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”
According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.
“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”
When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.
At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”
While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.
On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.
“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.
The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.
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